St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-04
A CHECKERED CAREER.
The Report That Col. William <. Rogers,
OF Sonora, CAL, is Kissane, Pretty
Generally Believed.
An Enormous Amount of Money Spent by
Sidney O. Burton in the Kis-
sane Litigation.
The Great Lawyer Now Believed To
Have Been Poisoned at Kts-
sane's Instfgation.
Letters and Other Evidence Going to
Show That Ktssane Was a Des-
perate Character.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 3.-There seems
10 De no doubt among those who are in po-
sitlon to know that the statement published
IN the California Democrat Ia German
paper OF this city, regarding Kissane, as
telegraphed East last night, is strictly cor
TGct, ana tnat William Kissane and Col.
william *. Rogers, wealthy citizen of
this state, living at Sonora. are one and the
same person. This fact has been known to
several people of this city, but, out of con-
sideratlon for his family and relations, he
mas not Deen made known. The California
democrat was the first to reveal Klssanes
identity, but nothing further than what was
teleglaphed from Cleveland has been men
toned on the subject.
STARTLING DOCUMENTS.
CLEVELAND. o., April 3.-The Leader
will tomorrow publish another instaIIment
of the story of Sidney G. Burtons efforts
to run down William Kissane. 1t saws:
Every detail of this case has been pre-
served in manuscript and is now in the pos
session OF daughter of Burton, Mrs.
FRANCES ID. Bowman, of No. 95 State
street. The documentary evidencednclhdes
the manuscript of book written by Mr..
Burton and voluminous correspondence
with persons interested in the case. A
complete story of Kissane's career hasneyer
appeared in print. In 1851 Mr.. Burton had
been established for eight years as thetpro-
prietor OF leather and wooden warehouse.
He conducted a resperousbusjness. Among
his correspondents were Filley 6 Chapin, q
leather firm in Cincinnati. In November.
1851, Mr.. Burton
HELD THEIR NOTES
for $4,000 and he owned also 1,600 sheep.,
skins, which were stored in theirsWare-
house. On Dec. 26, 1851, hevisited. Gin
| cinnati, and found that the firm had
made an assignment. They were succeeded
by Lyman Cole, man who was.subse-
quently arrested in New York on the charge
| of having been implicated with Kissane In
| the bank forgery. When Burton asked for
payment of the notes and the return of the
| skins he was Informed that he could s'go
| to the devil with the rest of the creditors" I"
Capt. Cummings, who commanded the
! Martha Washington. was an intimatet
friend of Cole, and KiSsane had an INTEREST,"
| in the business. Mr.. Burton learned that
they had purchased the Martha Washing;
| ton, and were annoyed over the unfayorablel
| circumstances that prevented her arrival
The vessel put in an appearance at last,
and steamed out of Cincinnati for New
Orleans with a heavy invoice on Jan. 6,
1852. 1t was soon developed that the
steamer and cargo were
HEAVILY INSURED.
On Jan. 10, 1852, the boat was burned
near Helena, Ark. Sixteen lives were lost,
| and the value of the property was placed at
$125, 600. Early in the same year Mr.. Bur-
ton sued Adam Chaplin. of New York, en-
deavoring to secure the payment of an. in
surance policy for 500, 900, and, satisfied
that the burning of the steamer was an act
of incendiarism, he notified the insurance
companies and they refused to pay the
| policy. The conSpirators then fought to-
4 win Mrsv vRllrton over to their side, He
says insshs manuscript that they offered
him $4,000 in addition to the Filley and
Chaplin notes if he would assist them.in
securing the payment of the insurance
money. Then Mr.. Burton resolved to bring
the criminals to justice. The insurance
companies refused to assist him, but he ex-
pended $50, 600 of his own money and over
SO, 900 contributed by friends. During his
pursuit of the gang he travelled $50, 600
miles. He was constantly bounded, har-
assed and even threatened by KsSane
and his friends. Few persons are aware
that
EAAIIssARIEs OF KIssANE
were instrumental in causing Mr.. Burton's
death. In the summer OF 1855 he visited
New York, and. as had been the case
throughout his travels in the United States
and Canada, every movement was watched
by Kissane'S agents. Early in the fall he
became the victim Of mysterious illness
and returned to his home here. He linz
gered few months, but never recovered,
dying on Dec. IL, 1855. The fact was es-
tablished at the time that Klssane's friends
had succeeded in smuggling subtlespoison
} into his food, and his death resulted, de-
} spite the efforts of the best physicians to
save him. Mr.. Burton wrote during his
travels book giving a detailed account OF
the case, but it was never put into print
It was entitled, ''The Drama of Crime; or,
Tragedies in Real Life" According tothe
preface the book contains, among other
things, "a complete confession of William
Kissane." Among Mrs. Bowman,sy papers
are several interesting letters. One from
: Gen. Francis j. A. Darr. Of San Francisco,
bears date Of July 12, 1886. Gen. DarE
says:
PRETTY DIRECT.
| Tam a native of Cincinnati and of the Old
firm of Gross s. Diley. Our factory candles,
soaps and oils) was destroyed in 1851 by the
iAcendiary act of William Kssane. While We
+ were preparing the proofs the other crimes
. came t6slight. Kissane has become rich and
: st.proSpiDent, and his intimates know nothing
L or his crhmes He was born in ireland, emil
grated ITO Canada and went thence to Cincin-
J, tnati in the 40s. Finally he escaped the halter
: by the death of your father by poisoning.
{ Another letter is from John Eddy, OF
: Providence, r. l., a former officer OF the
Chemical bank. 1t bears date Nov. 90.
1856. and in it Mr.. Eddy says:
KISSANE WAS PARDONED
after your fathers death. He went to Nicar
aqua, and returned during the war and held
some prominent positions. He now lives in
luxury.
: John S. Toppan, of New York, president
Of the Marine Insurance company, tool
l Kissane's confession. Mrs. Bowman ha:
t written to Recorder Smythe, of New York.
a a letter which will reach is destination OF
f Monday. giving some information about the
case. Col. c. w. Doubleday, Of this city,
who was one of Filibuster Walkers adju
tants in Nicaragua, told areporter last nigh
; that he knew Kissane when the latter wa:
) acting as commissary of the expedition
q | He says KiSSane was sort of deSperado
@ While it was not known in Nicaragua tina
/ Kissane and Rogers were identical tht
officials for some reason suspected that ht
f was the same man who was mixed up il
the Martha Washington disaster.
Funeral of GEN. Ripley.
CHARLESTON, S. c., April 3.-The fu
q neral of the late Gen. Riplev which tool